With their sirens blaring and lights flashing, members of local law gave kids from the community a ride to Walmart in Hopkinsville for Shop with a Cop on Wednesday which serves to provide Christmas gifts for families.
Shop with a Cop is an annual event hosted by the Hopkinsville Fraternal Order of Police where they invite members of the Hopkinsville Police Department, Christian County Sheriff’s Office, Christian County Jail and Fort Campbell Military Police to shop with children whose families may need help during the holiday season.
Lisa Gould from the order has worked to organize around 20 Shop with Cop events and this year she says they are helping to provide gifts for 28 families. Gould says they work with schools in the area to see if there are any children whose families may need a helping hand this holiday season and invite them to participate.
Gould says the children participating get gifts bought for them and then partner up with a member of law enforcement to buy gifts for their families. Following the shopping spree, the children along with law enforcement head to the local War Memorial Building where they get their presents all wrapped and ready to be put under the tree.
One of the officers shopping with a kid was Hopkinsville Police Department School Recourse Officer, Lori Kryszewski who says since she started working with the department in 2015, she has not missed a Shop with a Cop event. Kryszewski says she enjoys being able to help benefit families while also showing another side to how law enforcement can help the community.
Gould says the support for Shop with a Cop has been growing which means over the years they have been able to support more families.
Gould thanked law enforcement for participating, Walmart for letting them shop and have a grand entrance and last but not least the community for their donations which made the event happen.
